I didn’t answer, but still stared at him, not sure what to make of the man in front of me.
“Because of our last meeting?” he asked, a laugh of disbelief curling at his lips. “That argument—it shocked me. A blip in my plan that almost wrecked everything. I panicked and told you about the Order when I shouldn’t have. I was terrified you’d figure out who I am and what I’m doing, so I threw you off with the first thing I could think of. A mistake, yes, but it worked. They were almost pleased I dropped hints—they think it’ll help you absorb the rest more easily.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my chest tightening.
He stepped closer, tilting his head down with a strange satisfaction. His fingers traced my jaw slowly, lingering on every inch he touched, his intense gaze making my stomach twist.
He was enjoying this. Savoring it.
“Do you like cats, Evie?” he asked, the words a hushed whisper, sending my brain into another panic.
“What does that mean?”
He dug into his pocket and produced a tiny white cat figurine—a companion to the little black one perched on my dresser.
“Why do you have that? Why do I have a matching one?”
“A gift, Evie. Do you not understand what that is? Is it because Aiden never gives you nice things?”
“Tell me what you want. Tell me what you’re talking about,”I pressed, my thoughts spinning, too many questions and not enough answers, all while trying to figure out if I was about to die.
“You know,” he mused, ignoring my demand, “I thought you’d figure it out sooner. You’ve been digging so deep, pulling at threads you had no business touching, and yet... you never really saw it, did you?”
I swallowed the sharp spike of fear climbing up my throat. “Saw what?”
His smile was slow, smug. He had me exactly where he wanted me.
“The truth,” he said simply.
The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.
Jack leaned in, his voice dropping to something more intimate, more venomous. “You’ve spent all this time thinking you were hunting answers, Evie. That you were getting closer. But you weren’t the hunter.” His fingers lifted, tracing the air between us, like he was savoring the moment before the kill. “You were the prey.”
My blood turned to ice.
Jack tilted his head, watching the realization sink in. “And guess what?” His grin sharpened. “I finally got you.”
I jerked against my restraints, rage and panic tangling in my chest. This felt like more than only coming after me for digging into my parents’ lives.
“But why?”
“It started with your exploration into Veritas and the Order. You started off not causing any issues, but I had to check into it. Then it got worse, and worse, until you were getting close to digging up secrets that would destroy me.”
“So you are a part of the Order?”
“No, and that’s why I had to stop you. I offered to help them stop you in exchange for letting me back in.”
“The Order,” I forced out, my breath coming faster. “TheyknewI was looking?”
“After I told them, of course,” Jack said, his expression almost proud. “You don’t really think we’d let you play detective and not notice, do you? But see, the funny part is—they didn’t think you were a threat, but they still wanted you and I couldn’t figure out why. I knew you were digging for our secrets. I know if you found them out and if I didn’t stop you, you would tell everyone, but theywantedyou.”
“So they wouldn’t help you, and you what? Want to threaten me to stop looking? You want to give me to them?”
“Yes. Without their protection, you are a threat to me.”
I clenched my teeth, trying to stop the chattering. “Then why bring me here instead of killing me?”
“Killing you myself has been off the table since they decided you were an asset. I almost did once, when I first watched you, but then I realized how perfect you truly were. I could understand why the Order wanted you and I didn’t see the harm in keeping you alive in exchange for protection. We would both be safe, they would end your nosy tendencies, and we could get to know each other on a... closer level. It seemed like a perfect plan.”
